After working on lesson plans this week, I whittled down the tools I've explored to a few favorites. Obviously anything Google related works well and is preferred (Docs, Slides, etc.), so I'm not going to consider those here. I also found that tools I thought would work well, didn't. For example, I was excited by Glogster for creating interactive posters. However, when I actually went to create one this week, I realized how hampered I was by not having a paid account. You can only have six elements, which seems to include the title of your presentation and how many text boxes you have. It was very difficult, and I admittedly gave up, knowing how much more I would be able to do with a paid account.
My favorite apps, though, are:
1. Bubbl.us - I honestly don't know that for me a concept map would work for a research paper. I believe it would for others. I do love the look of a concept map, though, and think it would be useful for anyone for early stage planning.
2. Canva - I love Canva for creating infographics. I could see using this regularly as a librarian when I need to share information with the rest of my school (eg. rules, guides to new resources, etc.).
3. Doodle - I understand other people's points that you can just send invitations via Google Calendar, but what if you need to invite someone to an event who doesn't use Google products? I also really like the layout of Doodle. It's so easy to set up and see responses.
4. Animoto - This is such a simple tool for creating video slideshows. The templates are plentiful, and the free graphics and music are great. I feel like even younger students could use this with minimal assistance
5. Diigo - I have to admit I was really skeptical of Diigo. Why wouldn't you just create a folder for your bookmarks in your browser and add things there? But I really like the highlighting and annotating features, as well as the ability to create groups where you can share resources.
And there you have it! My top five tools I've explored this semester!
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